The invention relates to the technical field of water filtration for swimming pools.
To date, numerous technical solutions are known which allow the water of a swimming pool to be filtered. Filtration is obtained by means of one or more filters mounted in combination with a circuit for drawing in and delivering water.
It has, for example, been proposed that the pumping or filtration means be incorporated into a compact block mounted in combination with the panels of which the pool of the swimming pool is made. One of the parts of the block is submerged in the water and houses the filtration means, while another part is situated out of the pool and has the means for drawing in and delivering the water, which means are mounted in combination with the said filtration means.
This solution emerges, for example, from the teaching of patent EP-A-0,145,619. The part submerged in the water may have arrangements acting as the treads of steps.
However, for reasons of convenience, the consumer often wants the swimming pool to be equipped with a conventional set of steps and, more generally, with steps of a rounded shape, very often located at the end of the swimming pool. These steps, given their shape, are known by the name of Roman steps.
It has also been proposed that filtering Roman steps be produced, these being based on the same principle as the one defined in the aforementioned patent EP-A-0,145,619. The part submerged in the water has a rounded overall shape, incorporating the treads of the steps and housing the filtration system. This part submerged in the water is connected to the part out of the ground, which houses the intake and delivery means. The part submerged in the water is not incorporated into the panels of the swimming pool, but is superimposed on these, which latter panels have to be shaped to delimit a rounded surface corresponding to that of the steps.
After the two parts of the steps have been attached to the swimming pool panels there remains, between the rear face of the steps and the front face of the profiled panels, an empty space which later will be filled with water. This means that leaves or other undesirables may accumulate in this space, and this may cause significant problems as far as overall pool maintenance is concerned.
Mention may also be made of the teaching of patent EP-A-0,279,140 which relates to a module made of a prefabricated assembly made of reinforced resin of the polyester kind, and which comprises a set of steps of several treads which adjoin a technical tank and a filtration tank. The technique used for manufacturing this module is not, however, rational. Watertightness problems may arise.